GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: adekil on 21 March 2019, 13:36
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My Golf R manual is due back in July although I have the option to continue the lease on a monthly basis indefinitely afterwards if I wanted. I am interested in another R (different specs) but I've only ever driven manuals so wondering if anyone else was in the same situation switching to DSG for the first time and how long it took to adapt?
I will arrange a test drive at some stage and really this is the only daunting thing stopping me getting another quote.
Also would you expect the prices to drop on the R later this year as currently, the best price I've found for a lease with 3 months up front is around £450 including maintenance/tyres (almost £100 more what I'm paying now and appreciate some of the extra goes towards the DSG)
TIA
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I've never had DSG, but have had loaner automatics while various cars have been in the workshop.
At first its a bit weird, after a couple of days though I enjoyed the easy traffic jams. At the end of a week I really thought "why don't I have an automatic"?
The only sticking point for me in the past was that it was more money to lease (through the company car scheme) and the emissions were higher than manual (which meant I paid more tax!)
Thankfully I'm out of the company car scheme now and next time I'll get a DSG (probably GTI).
You can use a DSG in semi manual if you really want to... though I suspect I'll do that for the first couple of days then forget it!
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For a daily car I can't ever see myself having another manual. DSG takes no time at all to get used to.
Stick in drive and go. Auto-hold in traffic jams. Stop start. No problems. Want sportier shifts? Pull back back to S mode. Want to drop a gear? Flick the paddles and it changes back when it thinks you've not using them any longer or pull the + paddle for 2 secs and back to D/S. Want full control* over changes. Flick across to M.
* It still changes up at the redline in M mode.
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It took me a little while to adapt from a manual GTD to a GTI with DSG. Gentle driving, in traffic etc, is just how you’d expect - ie. just no clutch or gears to operate, but I found myself being a bit clumsy with the throttle, when I wanted to accelerate hard, causing the ‘box to kick down and rev crazily! Once you get in tune with it, DSG is brilliant. As Fred suggests, for me anyway, the steering wheel paddles are used infrequently and I have yet to find a use for “S” mode. Once you get the feel of it, you can control the ‘box, very adequately, just using the throttle. If instant go is required, the paddles are always there!
Wouldn’t have a car without a dual clutch gearbox now.
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I’ve just made the switch from manual to DSG, within the first few days I found myself thinking hope I’ve done the right thing, less than 3 weeks later and I definitely have. It’s great for the mindless side of driving and as mentioned by Jim the paddles are there for the instant change if required. I’ve been having some great fun in it, I tend to drive it in comfort and use the paddles if I’m honest.
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I’ve literally just changed from a manual S3 to a dsg R. Had it since Saturday. I would never go back to a manual. Used the paddles for the first time today which was hilarious. Absolutely love the R. Best car I’ve had.
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To echo all of the above my current GTI is my first DSG and there is no chance I’ll be buying another manual car ever again. It’s just so effortless on my weekend commute but you have the control in M mode if you need it on the twisties.
The only getting used to I had to do is remember to flick it down into S when trying to squeeze into traffic or entering roundabouts but you probably won’t have to do this if you drive like a normal person.
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DSG for ten years here. Never going back either. Absolutely no contest.
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6 years of DSG and Autos for me too. Never, ever, ever want another manual again as an everyday car. My Mk2, or any other car of that ilk has to be a manual as that's just for fun, but that goes without saying.
DSG does take a couple of weeks to learn how to get the best out of it without having to think about it, but it is well worth the effort. Manual gearboxes in everyday cars have had their day.
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Well manual is taking a bit of a knock! Now I've nothing against an auto, never tried a DSG, in fact my previous two cars were autos covering about 14 years and they were great. I'd agree with many comments about the ease in traffic and the more relaxed nature of driving but for me I wanted a change and my manual GTI has been great! Loads of fun and love the feel of being more in control and the mechanical involvement. As for the OP, you've had manuals for a long time so perhaps it's just time for a change?
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In my 11th year of DSG, and like many others have stated, I’d never go back to a manual life long term for daily driving.
DSG takes a few weeks to properly get to grips with and it does require a different approach and driving mindset, but that comes quickly enough if you understand that it’s not like driving a manual. I find you adjust to the DSG but can also make DSG adjust to you. The beauty of it is the fact you have a number of options to suit your driving needs, roads, mood, style of driving - Drive, Sport and Manual - imo all have their place in DSG driving and understanding the how they fit into your daily driving is key getting the best out of DSG.
Once you’ve found DSG, you don’t want to lose it!
This a good read for anyone considering DSG.
https://www.vwroc.com/forums/topic/11881-understanding-and-using-your-dsg-box/
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Go for manual. More fun. And they’ll soon be consigned to history, so enjoy them while you can
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In my 11th year of DSG, and like many others have stated, I’d never go back to a manual life long term for daily driving.
DSG takes a few weeks to properly get to grips with and it does require a different approach and driving mindset, but that comes quickly enough if you understand that it’s not like driving a manual. I find you adjust to the DSG but can also make DSG adjust to you. The beauty of it is the fact you have a number of options to suit your driving needs, roads, mood, style of driving - Drive, Sport and Manual - imo all have their place in DSG driving and understanding the how they fit into your daily driving is key getting the best out of DSG.
Once you’ve found DSG, you don’t want to lose it!
This a good read for anyone considering DSG.
https://www.vwroc.com/forums/topic/11881-understanding-and-using-your-dsg-box/
This is interesting, that’s it’s described like playing a computer game. Can I ask those with DSG- and most seem very enthusiastic about it- do you not just get lazy and drive it like an auto?
I’ve just gone from bmw 335d auto to a manual gti. I stopped using the paddle shift after a while- it was easier to kick down with the throttle
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I've never really been too keen on auto's, i've always thought of dsg as being a grand that I don't need to spend. However given VAG's increasing reluctance to offer it's more potent engines with a manual box, it surely won't be too long before we're all driving automatics. So i'll probably cave in eventually and end up with some engine or other paired with a dsg, and steering wheel paddles.
Leases have generally gone up across the board over the last 18 months or so. There's the odd decent offer on R's every now and then, but generally speaking the better deals tend to be on the estate version rather than the hatch.
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In my 11th year of DSG, and like many others have stated, I’d never go back to a manual life long term for daily driving.
DSG takes a few weeks to properly get to grips with and it does require a different approach and driving mindset, but that comes quickly enough if you understand that it’s not like driving a manual. I find you adjust to the DSG but can also make DSG adjust to you. The beauty of it is the fact you have a number of options to suit your driving needs, roads, mood, style of driving - Drive, Sport and Manual - imo all have their place in DSG driving and understanding the how they fit into your daily driving is key getting the best out of DSG.
Once you’ve found DSG, you don’t want to lose it!
This a good read for anyone considering DSG.
https://www.vwroc.com/forums/topic/11881-understanding-and-using-your-dsg-box/
This is interesting, that’s it’s described like playing a computer game. Can I ask those with DSG- and most seem very enthusiastic about it- do you not just get lazy and drive it like an auto?
I’ve just gone from bmw 335d auto to a manual gti. I stopped using the paddle shift after a while- it was easier to kick down with the throttle
I think you can get lazy but equally you can not get lazy! It all depends on the kind of driver you are. I use the paddles a lot and have S2T replacement paddle shifters which make manual paddle shifting a better experience. Sometimes on daily morning work commute I just stick to D and let it do it’s thing, but other times I’ll use Sport or S manual for a more engaging drive. Some think that DSG lacks driver engagement but I think it’s just a different kind of involvement and equally engaging as manual in its own way, and I’ve never felt that driving DSG is like playing Playstation. I never use kickdown, haven’t used it really since the initial novelty period in my first DSG (mk5 GTI) back in 2008.
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Manual for me but only if the box is a good 'un. My Fiesta ST200 was a stunning drive.
Currently have a DSG and I still hate how long it takes to move when you press the go peddle.
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Interesting- thanks Booth11.It does require learning new skills to drive a dsg well. Maybe I didn’t try hard enough with the bmw.
That said, I enjoy the rev matching and am very happy I went manual. You get real satisfaction from shifting quickly and smoothly.
OP looking to buy an R- but if you are thinking Gti, here’s an interesting piece-
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/dsg-or-manual
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Sometimes on daily morning work commute I just stick to D and let it do it’s thing, but other times I’ll use Sport or S manual for a more engaging drive.
Does your commute offer opportunities for an engaging drive, or are you just changing gear manually for the sake of it?
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Thanks all, some interesting comments. I was expecting 100% of R (or GTI) owners to vote DSG. I too love a manual gearbox but thats all I've ever used, so I cannot compare. I did consider the GTI in manual but for me keeping an R is still top of my list. I guess I'm no further forward until I take a DSG out for a test drive, I may consider taking the GTI for a test too as I've never been in one and I might be swayed.
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In my 11th year of DSG, and like many others have stated, I’d never go back to a manual life long term for daily driving.
DSG takes a few weeks to properly get to grips with and it does require a different approach and driving mindset, but that comes quickly enough if you understand that it’s not like driving a manual. I find you adjust to the DSG but can also make DSG adjust to you. The beauty of it is the fact you have a number of options to suit your driving needs, roads, mood, style of driving - Drive, Sport and Manual - imo all have their place in DSG driving and understanding the how they fit into your daily driving is key getting the best out of DSG.
Once you’ve found DSG, you don’t want to lose it!
This a good read for anyone considering DSG.
https://www.vwroc.com/forums/topic/11881-understanding-and-using-your-dsg-box/
This is interesting, that’s it’s described like playing a computer game. Can I ask those with DSG- and most seem very enthusiastic about it- do you not just get lazy and drive it like an auto?
I’ve just gone from bmw 335d auto to a manual gti. I stopped using the paddle shift after a while- it was easier to kick down with the throttle
My experience of the older BMW autos with paddles was that they weren't overly responsive, the old steptronic things etc. I think a 335d auto lends itself to been an auto if you know what I mean. The GTI works in D but also comes alive in S or M.
That said, I was at a Porsche GT track day on Tuesday at Oulton Park and had the experience of jumping in the passenger seat of a new GT2 RS for around 12-15 laps. The owner never touched the paddles as in S+ it was never in the wrong gear. The acceleration and braking were in a different universe, and he was using the full 690bhp to the rear wheels and only ever a flicker of TC lights. The braking hurt my head!
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BMW normal autos are horrid nasty things using very old fashioned auto boxes, lurchy and car sick inducing only the true M's have a DSG box. The normal BMW (I drove a 1 series on a test drive) is a boring A to B machine.
I drove a M3 on the track... amazing is all I would say. Lack of engagement my a$$... I was able to perfectly concentrate on my lines and braking.... it was a simply stunning experience.
Not that I'd recommend driving like that on the road! But its there if you want it.
I'd say to the OP though that a test drive won't really help much though - you will be a little out of your depth and not really getting it for the first few goes.
Actually - I did drive a DSG GTD on my first Golf Mk7 test drive. Like any car new to me on a test drive I was concentrating too hard to really tell much from the experience!
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Yes, you can’t tell much from a quick spin round the block, which is all most dealers allow.
My initial thought was dsg, I test drove it, then ordered manual
It will be interesting to see if these boxes become more or less engaging as they become increasingly sophisticated
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DSG for everyday. Manual for weekend fun.
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DSG in 'Auto' mode for everyday duties.
DSG (or a double clutch equivalent DCT/PDK etc) in Manual mode for weekends and having fun.
I've had my fair share of manual 'sports' cars (M cars, TVR etc), but in the same way I wouldn't go back to cassette tapes and Halogen headlights, I wouldn't go back to a manual if there was a double clutch alternative and I was buying a sporty/sports car.
I'd consider a manual over a slushy single clutch (ZF8 etc) though.
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Sometimes on daily morning work commute I just stick to D and let it do it’s thing, but other times I’ll use Sport or S manual for a more engaging drive.
Does your commute offer opportunities for an engaging drive, or are you just changing gear manually for the sake of it?
Poorly worded on my part. No, my daily commute straight from home to work (office) doesn’t offer opportunities for an engaging drive, it’s usually congested city traffic, so that’s done in D, sometimes using S at roundabouts and other bits. Depends on how heave the traffic is. Where I live it’s never quite the same any one morning or day! But little point in driving in manual through congested city traffic. What I meant was other daily work trips often do allow for an engaging drive, I use the car quite a lot for work and that takes me to various places, and I often drive to sites from home, some of places those are on routes where manual is the more rewarding drive.
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Sometimes on daily morning work commute I just stick to D and let it do it’s thing, but other times I’ll use Sport or S manual for a more engaging drive.
Does your commute offer opportunities for an engaging drive, or are you just changing gear manually for the sake of it?
Poorly worded on my part. No, my daily commute straight from home to work (office) doesn’t offer opportunities for an engaging drive, it’s usually congested city traffic, so that’s done in D, sometimes using S at roundabouts and other bits. Depends on how heave the traffic is. Where I live it’s never quite the same any one morning or day! But little point in driving in manual through congested city traffic. What I meant was other daily work trips often do allow for an engaging drive, I use the car quite a lot for work and that takes me to various places, and I often drive to sites from home, some of places those are on routes where manual is the more rewarding drive.
Sounds exactly how I use mine :smiley:
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VW is definitely on a mission to phase out manual boxes on the nippier engines, and also seem to want you to decide you need one by fitting chocolate clutches in the manuals.
The ridiculously high geared 1.0TSI units that VW are saving the planet with are also having chocolate clutches fitted that burn on even a slight hill start, because you have to rev the nuts off them to pull away.
Give it 5 years and VAG might have phased out manuals altogether.
Never wanted a DSG, but now find myself in one as a daily driver in my Polo GTI+. The wife has the manual R 95% of the time, and VW UK decided not to bring the manual box for the Polo to the UK, despite it being available in many other European countries.
So I find myself in a DSG because the car is excellent for the money. I don't dislike DSG as much as I thought.
I'd say that 80% of the time, when not wanting to press on fully, the car can react the way you want it to ' moderate amounts of throttle can reliably translate in what gear you want the car to be in when in auto mode. In traffic it is handy too...and yes, you do get lazy.
Full manual mode just isn't intuitive for me to use the stick. Pushing up to go up a gear and pulling back to go down sounds logical, but it just feels wrong to not be doing the opposite. The paddles are pretty pointless in non-manual mode because your throttle response overrides your desire to be in a certain gear - and therein lies my main annoyance with DSG.
Why can't you have an effective bout of manual selection from within auto mode?
I don't want to have to slot over into full manual mode for one drop to 3rd from 6th to hammer it at 45. That takes a lot more forward planning than seeing an opportunity to get from 45 to 70 and just pressing the downshift 3 times and burying the throttle. Bury the throttle in auto mode (regardless of your paddle input) and it will drop to the lowest possible gear - even if that is at 45mph to go 6th to 2nd, for all of 500 revs before the red line, where there's no torque left anyway, before picking 3rd.
Wish VW has designed it so manual paddle input is respected in auto mode (within self protection limits, changing up at red line) independent of throttle input.
I'm sure someone will say "but if you're putting your foot down at 45, you can just give it 3/4 throttle to avoid dropping to 2nd". Yes you can, but it's pointless if you want full throttle 3rd acceleration.
VW could have quite easily treated paddle operation as auto mode override and chose not to. The car would've been so much better as an auto with that in place.
Do facelift Golf's with DSG have the ACC fire up the car in stop-start mode when the car in front moves off? That's highly annoying on the Polo when it's just cars bunching up a foot or so in static traffic.
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Dunno about dsg Golf's but my manual 7.5 GTD has the auto restart function when stop-start is active and i agree it's highly annoying.
Without wanting to completely hijack the thread, what are thoughts on the Polo GTi and the lack of independent rear suspension? Does the car suffer unduly for it, or have torsion beams moved on somewhat in recent years?
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Monkeyhanger.... I wonder if the DSG tuning software makes any difference to your frustrations?
I've still to hear anyone say that they have done it...
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DSG tuning is supposed to give you nearly full control in manual mode. It will hold the chosen gear and bounce off the limiter like you can in a manual, but will still not let you select an unsuitable gear that could cause damage.
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Without wanting to completely hijack the thread, what are thoughts on the Polo GTi and the lack of independent rear suspension? Does the car suffer unduly for it, or have torsion beams moved on somewhat in recent years?
Neil Birkitt said in his roadtest of the Polo GTI (in VW Driver mag) that you’d have to be a racing driver to notice the difference in chassis and there would be less moving parts to get out of alignment.
Driving my son’s MQB chassis Ibiza FR after my Ed40 doesn’t immediately feel like there are any chassis shortcomings other than the Ibiza feels very comfortable after the jiggly Clubsport with 35 profile tyres.
The Clubsport has stiffer suspension and less sidewall roll so can be positioned more precisely but it feels no more or less stable, no difference in how it tracks or grips (within tyre limitations).
I’m sure the tighter suspension settings of a Polo GTI would even the game up.
Despite kerb weights not being a million miles apart the Ibiza feels much lighter.
I’m really looking forward to the (likely) release of the S1.
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Monkeyhanger.... I wonder if the DSG tuning software makes any difference to your frustrations?
I've still to hear anyone say that they have done it...
If VW made the car respect your paddle input for the gear you want to be in, irrespective of throttle position (within reason - ignore that request to be in 2nd at 60mph), then slotting over to manual mode would be an unnecessary extra step to think about with what should be an instinctively easy thing to do - driving along in D at 45mph in 6th, that doddery old Fiat 500 driver moves out of the way and press, press, press with the throttle buried and you're giving it all in 3rd.
While throttle input overrides paddle input for gearing, how will a DSG tune solve that? Paddle input should dictate what gear you're in, for maybe 10 seconds after the press before reverting back to D or S. Such an easy fix for VW to do, then only need to slot to manual for stick shifts up and down. Not a bother if you are in manual all the time, but you do get lazy, so you won't be in manual all the time.
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Monkeyhanger.... I wonder if the DSG tuning software makes any difference to your frustrations?
I've still to hear anyone say that they have done it...
If VW made the car respect your paddle input for the gear you want to be in, irrespective of throttle position (within reason - ignore that request to be in 2nd at 60mph), then slotting over to manual mode would be an unnecessary extra step to think about with what should be an instinctively easy thing to do - driving along in D at 45mph in 6th, that doddery old Fiat 500 driver moves out of the way and press, press, press with the throttle buried and you're giving it all in 3rd.
While throttle input overrides paddle input for gearing, how will a DSG tune solve that? Paddle input should dictate what gear you're in, for maybe 10 seconds after the press before reverting back to D or S. Such an easy fix for VW to do, then only need to slot to manual for stick shifts up and down. Not a bother if you are in manual all the time, but you do get lazy, so you won't be in manual all the time.
The 7S DSG in the new GTI P is certainly better than the 6S I had in the FL 230 version. It must have the ability to switch several gears at once as I've noticed if I'm in say D6 and pull lever back for S then it might say S4 straight away without touching accelerator.
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Monkeyhanger, Revo DSG software does away with kickdown in manual mode https://www.onlyrevo.com/product-details/software/volkswagen/golf-vi/116/dsg-stage-1
Jim, Normally putting the lever in S will select 1 lower gear, putting you closer to the engine speed for peak torque. I think if you have the car setting in Sport, you will get the gear which is ready to give you maximum acceleration should you ask for it.
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That revo software looks like a winner!
If I end up with a gti pp dsg, I'll have some of that!)
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^ It's a bit early to bin my warranty yet, but something worth looking at later.
As for how it drives, it drives brilliantly, the lack of fully independent rear suspension doesn't hamper it's handling at all. It's handling is sharp, like a Golf GTI (The R is fast but doesn't feel sharp). The Polo GTI+ is comparable on standard equipment with the Golf GTI. When you can get a GTI+ with 18" Brescias for £20900 at broker rates vs a standard Golf GTI 5dr performance DSG for £26930 - that £6k extra doesn't buy you much more car.
The only non chrome switch in the car is the lighting dial switch, both come with 18" alloys in my comparison,
Only obvious scrimping is lack of rubberised plastic on top 3" of door cards vs Golf and interior rear door window assembly where it comes to a point is a large painted area that's begging for a piece of triangular trim to cover it.
The minimal weight differences demonstrate that the Polo is just as solid. Both have active info display (Polo has newer gen), Polo gets newer/bigger/higher resolution media screen type. Both get auto lights/rear dimming mirror/auto wipers/LED headlights/ambient lighting/armrest/rear tinted glass/red calipers/ front and rear parking sensors/ACC. Polo gets keyless and basic DCC system in lieu of satnav and climate control. Not a lot between them - I do miss the "never need to touch it" e-handbrake on the Golf. There's a few other bits on either car I'll have forgotten. The polo engine retains MPI and the inlet end has the Audi valve lift tech for (slightly) better mpg. The Polo is 95% the size of a Golf inside.
Residuals (based on published GFV) anticipated to be slightly better than Golf GTI (50% at 3 years GFV).
Such a good car for the money, I'm buying one for the missus too (due to be built this week).
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Dunno about dsg Golf's but my manual 7.5 GTD has the auto restart function when stop-start is active and i agree it's highly annoying.
but you can program that out 😉
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^ It's a bit early to bin my warranty yet, but something worth looking at later.
As for how it drives, it drives brilliantly, the lack of fully independent rear suspension doesn't hamper it's handling at all. It's handling is sharp, like a Golf GTI (The R is fast but doesn't feel sharp). The Polo GTI+ is comparable on standard equipment with the Golf GTI. When you can get a GTI+ with 18" Brescias for £20900 at broker rates vs a standard Golf GTI 5dr performance DSG for £26930 - that £6k extra doesn't buy you much more car.
The only non chrome switch in the car is the lighting dial switch, both come with 18" alloys in my comparison,
Only obvious scrimping is lack of rubberised plastic on top 3" of door cards vs Golf and interior rear door window assembly where it comes to a point is a large painted area that's begging for a piece of triangular trim to cover it.
The minimal weight differences demonstrate that the Polo is just as solid. Both have active info display (Polo has newer gen), Polo gets newer/bigger/higher resolution media screen type. Both get auto lights/rear dimming mirror/auto wipers/LED headlights/ambient lighting/armrest/rear tinted glass/red calipers/ front and rear parking sensors/ACC. Polo gets keyless and basic DCC system in lieu of satnav and climate control. Not a lot between them - I do miss the "never need to touch it" e-handbrake on the Golf. There's a few other bits on either car I'll have forgotten. The polo engine retains MPI and the inlet end has the Audi valve lift tech for (slightly) better mpg. The Polo is 95% the size of a Golf inside.
Residuals (based on published GFV) anticipated to be slightly better than Golf GTI (50% at 3 years GFV).
Such a good car for the money, I'm buying one for the missus too (due to be built this week).
Thanks for that, good to know. My concerns were more about refinement and ride quality than outright handling sharpness. It's been a while since I drove a car without independent rear suspension. My mk5 Fiesta had torsion suspension years ago, and although I had no complaints about the handling on good surfaces it did have a tendency to become slightly unsettled by mid-corner and mid-bend bumps and potholes as the weight transferred sideways. I've also read a few comments over on Briskoda from Octavia owners complaining that the torsion beam on lower powered models makes the ride a bit choppy when paired with 18 inch wheels. Hopefully the Polo isn't afflicted by anything like that.
Thanks also for your reply Exonian.
:smiley:
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Dunno about dsg Golf's but my manual 7.5 GTD has the auto restart function when stop-start is active and i agree it's highly annoying.
but you can program that out 😉
Yeah I know, but I don't have vagcom or obd11 and as mine's a lease car i'm not planning to invest in it either (for now anyway)! It's just a shame VW doesn't allow you to turn it off through the menus without losing Front Assist. But thanks all the same. :smiley:
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^ It's a bit early to bin my warranty yet, but something worth looking at later.
As for how it drives, it drives brilliantly, the lack of fully independent rear suspension doesn't hamper it's handling at all. It's handling is sharp, like a Golf GTI (The R is fast but doesn't feel sharp). The Polo GTI+ is comparable on standard equipment with the Golf GTI. When you can get a GTI+ with 18" Brescias for £20900 at broker rates vs a standard Golf GTI 5dr performance DSG for £26930 - that £6k extra doesn't buy you much more car.
The only non chrome switch in the car is the lighting dial switch, both come with 18" alloys in my comparison,
Only obvious scrimping is lack of rubberised plastic on top 3" of door cards vs Golf and interior rear door window assembly where it comes to a point is a large painted area that's begging for a piece of triangular trim to cover it.
The minimal weight differences demonstrate that the Polo is just as solid. Both have active info display (Polo has newer gen), Polo gets newer/bigger/higher resolution media screen type. Both get auto lights/rear dimming mirror/auto wipers/LED headlights/ambient lighting/armrest/rear tinted glass/red calipers/ front and rear parking sensors/ACC. Polo gets keyless and basic DCC system in lieu of satnav and climate control. Not a lot between them - I do miss the "never need to touch it" e-handbrake on the Golf. There's a few other bits on either car I'll have forgotten. The polo engine retains MPI and the inlet end has the Audi valve lift tech for (slightly) better mpg. The Polo is 95% the size of a Golf inside.
Residuals (based on published GFV) anticipated to be slightly better than Golf GTI (50% at 3 years GFV).
Such a good car for the money, I'm buying one for the missus too (due to be built this week).
Polo got whipped by the GTI P though in the Carwow race! :grin:
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^ It's a bit early to bin my warranty yet, but something worth looking at later.
As for how it drives, it drives brilliantly, the lack of fully independent rear suspension doesn't hamper it's handling at all. It's handling is sharp, like a Golf GTI (The R is fast but doesn't feel sharp). The Polo GTI+ is comparable on standard equipment with the Golf GTI. When you can get a GTI+ with 18" Brescias for £20900 at broker rates vs a standard Golf GTI 5dr performance DSG for £26930 - that £6k extra doesn't buy you much more car.
The only non chrome switch in the car is the lighting dial switch, both come with 18" alloys in my comparison,
Only obvious scrimping is lack of rubberised plastic on top 3" of door cards vs Golf and interior rear door window assembly where it comes to a point is a large painted area that's begging for a piece of triangular trim to cover it.
The minimal weight differences demonstrate that the Polo is just as solid. Both have active info display (Polo has newer gen), Polo gets newer/bigger/higher resolution media screen type. Both get auto lights/rear dimming mirror/auto wipers/LED headlights/ambient lighting/armrest/rear tinted glass/red calipers/ front and rear parking sensors/ACC. Polo gets keyless and basic DCC system in lieu of satnav and climate control. Not a lot between them - I do miss the "never need to touch it" e-handbrake on the Golf. There's a few other bits on either car I'll have forgotten. The polo engine retains MPI and the inlet end has the Audi valve lift tech for (slightly) better mpg. The Polo is 95% the size of a Golf inside.
Residuals (based on published GFV) anticipated to be slightly better than Golf GTI (50% at 3 years GFV).
Such a good car for the money, I'm buying one for the missus too (due to be built this week).
Polo got whipped by the GTI P though in the Carwow race! :grin:
As did the CSS...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OVr7eWSex8
:whistle:
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They didn't say whether they used launch control on the Polo, but without the Golf's LSD, I'd expect a bit of tramping - especially if they left the woeful Bridgestone Turanzas on, so glad I swapped out mine for PS4s. A second behind the leader in the drag race, not too shabby for the Polo.
As per Guzzle's ask: the Polo's ride and refinement are a little better than my R on Pretorias with DCC in normal - about the same as the R with DCC in Sport. Better than a GTD for all round driving dynamics.
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Decided to order the new R. Nothing wrong with the current R, just fancied a new color, a bit more tech and my first set of 19" wheels :) and of course my very first automatic/dsg!
Ordered Lapiz blue, Dynaudio and 19" Prets - Looking forward to a potential Mid Aug delivery.
Out of interest, what tyres do the 19" come with?
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Mine came with Pirelli P-Zero on 19s, albeit the GTI. Assume the R is the same but I’m not 100% certain.
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My 7.5 is 2 years old and has black Pretoria’s that came with continentals. It strikes me that you get what the factory has. Lapiz is a great colour, but a pain to keep swirl free.
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My R is on continentals too.